


Do Monsters Create War?

by theFrenchMistake16



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Betrayal, F/F, F/M, Friendship, I mean, Karasuno, Kinda, M/M, Oikawa Tooru's Knee Injury, Poor Condition, Sadness, Seijoh - Freeform, Shiratorizawa, Violence, Wars, Yôkai, aoba josai - Freeform, characters added as I think of them, enslavement, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-02 17:45:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10949565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theFrenchMistake16/pseuds/theFrenchMistake16
Summary: "He is a weapon… a killer.Do not forget it.You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature."





	1. Prologue

The Southern Continent was once a wild, untamed land that was overrun by countless species of vegetation and animals. That beautiful chaos has slowly been exchanged out with another – that of men and their demons. Divided between numerous kingdoms, the Southern Continent has become a place of both war and peace. 

To understand the Southern Continent, we can look to the might of the Shiratorizawan Empire to explain its history. Ruled by the Ushijima family since its creation in 241 b.s.d. (Before the Shiratorizawan Division), it once controlled the entirety of the Southern Continent. Boasting one of the strongest armies in history, it was a massive empire. Now, it is smaller (though no less powerful). Two hundred thirty years after the creation of this powerhouse, groups and communities within it began to entertain the notion of nationalism and of separate nation-states. The emphasis of this concept grew and ignited tensions within the Empire… becoming a fuse that was ready to be lit. The spark that lit this fuse would come as the forces of the Shiratorizawan Empire moved in on a young, powerful group called Aoba Josai. Though strong and owning several talented soldiers, it was no match for the Empire. Completely and utterly decimated, Aoba Josai was wiped from the maps and books, instead becoming the Seijoh Quadrant.

Damages caused by Aoba Josai in the short war allowed similar groups to gain a foothold. This damage was mainly caused by something not seen in the Known World today. – use of a yokai. It is said that the powerful creature completely decimated an entire division of the Shiratorizawan Empire, freezing them to the ground and shattering the statues into oblivion. It was only after being burned into a pitiful state that the Empire was able to make headway. Supposedly the yokai was not killed, but taken into the custody of the royal family… to be held until such a day that it was needed.

The defeat of Aoba Josai rang out across the continent, prompting groups to begin warring with the Empire. Just eleven years later, the Shiratorizawan Division created numerous nation-states, some of which still exist today. Over four hundred years have passed since the Split, entering us into the year 440 a.s.d..

Today, the Shiratorizawan Empire still exists and is ruled by the Ushijima family. It seeks to take back the territories lost all those years ago, but there is strong push back. The nation-states that were created after the Division have grown in strength and power, though not completely peacefully. Many groups were lost to time, war, and natural disasters – their land being taken over by the neighboring nations. Yokai have had a large impact on the wars. After word spread of the yokai of Aoba Josai, curiosity brought about achievements in the enslavement of the creatures. Nowadays, the yokai usually aren’t enslaved. Rather, they enter into an agreement with the nation-states seeking help if they so desire. Karasuno is one of these places that has strong, peaceful attachments with the yokai in their army. Because of this, they are a rising power seeking to create peace on the Southern Continent.

However, our story is not yet with Karasuno. Instead, we look back towards the Shiratorizawan Empire. Our tale begins with the ideals of a young King and the promotion of a new General…


	2. Chapter 1

Cloaked in the purple and white of the Empire, the throne room was as beautiful as it was intimidating.  Tall windows allowed light to flood in, reflecting off of the sparkling title and brightening the ornate carpet.  Tapestries hung in between, detailed artwork of significant events in the history of Shiratorizawa.  One depicted a regal figure stepping off of a grand ship.  Another contained the silhouette of the castle it resided in. 

In the front of the room, up stone steps and seated in a simple wooden throne was a stoic looking man.  Ushijima Wakatoshi sat upon his recently inherited throne, staring towards the high, arched ceilings.  He wore the deep purple uniform of his kingdom.  A black undershirt and tie marked the young monarch’s mourning for his predecessor.  One red star on each shoulder and on each side of his collar denoted his rank and the array of colors over his heart signifies that his station was not given to him solely because of birth right.

Quiet, strong, and a brilliant mind for military tactics.  An intimidating force both on and off the battlefield, Ushijima stood tall above men and women in both a literal and figurative sense.  There were not many who would willingly go to battle with the knowledge that they would be facing the ruler, but there were many who assured themselves of victory at his side. 

A knock at the grand oak doors echoed throughout the chamber.  Ushijima nodded at the attendants stationed by the door, who opened the gates to reveal another servant as well as a man. 

“Iwaizumi Hajime,” the servant stated, before turning and marching off.  Ushijima motioned to Iwaizumi to step forward, observing the shorter man as he approached. 

Medals adorned the breast of the man, glinting as the light hit them.  Cloaked in the formal white dress uniform for soldiers, it almost seemed like Iwaizumi was out of place.  His tanned skin and spiked hair seemed more at home on a farm in the Johzenji Quadrant rather than in the Capital City castle.  A serious expression seemed to be the only one the man could hold (but then, Ushijima has never seen him before).  The only part of the otherwise impeccable uniform that didn’t quite match was the sword at his waist.  Bandages were wrapped around the handle of it, dirty and most likely unable to be used.  The sword itself sat in a banged-up sheath, rather than the one provided by the military.  However, Ushijima was sure that if it was drawn, the blade would be in pristine condition with a deadly edge.

Once he reached the base of the throne’s steps, Iwaizumi fell to one knee in respect to his ruler.  “My lord,” his deep voice said, “I have come at your request from the Western Front.”  He kept his head bowed, only speaking loud enough for the monarch to hear.  Ushijima rose and Iwaizumi with him, before questioning the soldier, “And how is the war on that front?”

“It is all but over, sir.  Only a few stragglers remain, barricaded in Oomisaki Castle.  The trade routes have been cut off throughout the region and it is only a matter of time.”  At this, Ushijima nodded, motioning a at a servant who had appeared only a few moments beforehand.  The stepped forward, holding a small, rectangular box.  “You have been a critical part of the Western Front forces, pushing your fellow comrades to greater heights and faster victories.  For your efforts and achievements,” the servant opened the container, allowing Ushijima to grasp the medal staged there, “I award you the rank of general.  You will now command the forces of the Seijoh Quadrant, on the Eastern Front.  Defend this country with your life and you will be repaid in time.” The monarch pinned the embellishment onto the white military jacket, before stepping back.

Iwaizumi nearly fell into a bow, not quite believing what had just happened.  His mouth opened and close as his mind raced for something to say.  Ushijima spared him the trouble, instead beginning to speak once more.  “Find Tendou Satori.  He will give you the files of your soldiers and yokai.  You are dismissed General Iwaizumi.”

Turning on his heel, the newly promoted general walked rigidly out of the throne room and out into the connecting hall.  _A new yokai... I didn’t have any problems with Komaki in the Tokonami Quadrant.  The Seijoh Quadrant has been around for a long time, too…_ Iwaizumi was pulled from his thoughts as he turned to find the lanky red-haired Tendou Satori, who cocked his head to the side as soon as he noticed the shorter man.  “Mm?  New general of Seijoh Quadrant?  Word gets around fast.  Here’s the files on your men and yokai, now shoo shoo.”  Iwaizumi was almost pushed out of the door by Tendou, arms stacked high with papers that would tell him everything he needed to know about his new Quadrant.  Besides an extremely confused “What?” he wasn’t able to get a single word in against Ushijima’s right hand man. 

Drained of the day’s events, he decided to venture down the streets of the city in an effort to return to the barracks.  Iwaizumi’s eyes skirted from side to side, taking in the sights and sounds of the city.  It had been over half a year since he had seen a city that wasn’t torn apart by war.  Children ran freely, playing with colorful swirling fans and carved toys.  Women (and even a few men) stood on street corners, bright red roses on their scantily clad bodies.  Booths were set up on both side of the streets, vendors calling out to civilians as they tried to sell their goods.  Young men bought flowers and trinkets for their loved ones, venturing from stall to stall and paying a pretty penny for their items… Yet one stood empty of customers, but full of items.  An old woman sat beside it, humming quietly and watching the busy streets with wise eyes.  Iwaizumi waded his way through the crowd towards the merchant.

“And what would a handsome young man want with little old me?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, a tired smile on her wrinkled face as Iwaizumi got closer.  He offered one back, before saying “Just looking to see what you have.”  The old woman motioned towards her stall, filled with old items and artifacts.  “I don’t know what you’ll find that will woo your lady friend, young man, but you are welcome to look.”

A few jade cups sat on a shelf, along with some other utensils made of pewter and even one of glass.  Statues of the same material sat below them, the likenesses almost indistinguishable because of the age.  Hanging from a bar were more curious objects.  A black feather that gleamed in the sun swished back and forth with the wind.  Razor-sharp claws were laced through a thin rope of leather – a neck piece for a special kind of person.  The last item hanging from a bar was a hardened piece of what seemed like blue-tinted glass with white thread looped through two holes poked in it.  A wristband. 

Iwaizumi pulled it off of the bar, handing much more money than it cost to the old woman.  After all, he wouldn’t need any of it for at least six months – and that was being generous.  She probably needed it more than he did, anyways.  Offering a small smile and a nod towards the vendor, he turned and walked back into the crowd.  His fingers rubbed over the smooth glass of the wristband and he tossed a glance back towards the quiet booth before suddenly stopping.  The old woman and the booth were both gone and people continued walking by as if they were never there in the first place.  Yet the glass remained in his hand, cool and smooth to the touch.  “Probably just tired, just have to get back to the barracks and I can sleep.”  And so Iwaizumi continued on his way.

It was only a few more minutes before the barracks came into sight.  Tall and rather imposing, the barracks were built out of plain, gray stone.  The purple banner of the Shiratorizawan Empire hung over the entrance, guarded by two serious looking soldiers.  Iwaizumi didn’t bother attempting to stop and chat with them.  City guards were a far cry from the soldiers on the front line. 

After making his way to the temporary living quarters, Iwaizumi planted himself by the wooden desk.  He glanced at the list, making his way down it and stopping every so often.

**Irihata Nobuteru – Advisor**

He nodded.  Irihata was well known throughout the Empire – though not quite as legendary as Nekomata or Ukai.  But he was once a great general in his own right – you had to be if you were allowed to be an advisor.

**Mizoguchi Sadayuki – Soldier**

The oldest person under his command (disregarding Irihata).  According to his file, Mizoguchi was incredibly observant and had strong ranged weapon abilities.  This would be his Second-in-Command.

**Matsukawa Issei – Soldier**

Matsukawa was well-rounded – a strong defense, slightly stronger offense.  A bit lazy looking, but his station as Third-in-Command says otherwise.

**Hanamaki Takahiro – Soldier**

Similar to Matsukawa, another Jack-of-all-Trades with a slight bias towards offense.

**Yahaba Shigeru – Mage**

The first of two mages for his Quadrant.  Yahaba served as the handler for the yokai and had more offensive capabilities than his counterpart,

**Watari Shinji – Mage**

Watari was the defensive balance to Yahaba’s offense.  Strong barrier skills, knowledge of several healing spells that would maximize the potential of the Quadrant’s soldiers.

**Kindaichi Yutaro – Soldier**

One of the newer members, according to the file.  Eager, but a bit unsure of himself. 

**Kunimi Akira – Soldier**

Apparently came into the Quadrant recently with Kindaichi.  Quiet and underachieving, if the report is to be believed.

**Kyoutani Kentaro – Soldier**

The ‘attack dog’ of the Quadrant.  Extremely aggressive, able to take a beating before succumbing to his injuries.

Iwaizumi scanned down the list… Kaneo Yuda (Soldier), Motomu Sawauchi (Soldier), Heisuke Shido (Soldier).  Finally, he reached the one he’d been looking for.

**Oikawa Tooru – Yokai**

His eyebrows rose in confusion.  There was nothing in his file.  No papers about his abilities or any physical description as there had been in the others.  Even Komaki had a full file that listed his abilities, age, and physical appearance. 

Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head, moving to the bed and relaxing onto it.  He had an early morning, as he would leave at first light to make his way to the Seijoh Quadrant.  To his new team.

-

_(The Next Day)_

He pulled gently on the reins of his horse, slowing it down to a stop.  Iwaizumi stepped down from the saddle, a groan emitting from his lips as his muscles pulled.  He was only an hour away from the Sendai Castle where the soldiers were currently stationed.  The horse nuzzled his shoulder and blew hot air into his sweaty hair.  “I know, I know.  Let’s get going.”  Hoisting himself back into the saddle, Iwaizumi gathered the reins and clicked the horse into motion.  As they gained speed, his thoughts began to wander.

_I don’t even know why Ushijima gave me this position.  It’s not like I did anything exemplary to deserve it.  But Seijoh should be interesting… it’s been in the Empire for so long.  The soldiers and mages I have look like they should be strong and they probably already know how to work as a team… but there is the problem of not knowing the yokai’s capabilities… that is a problem._

It wouldn’t be until they arrived on the outskirts of the city that Iwaizumi was pulled from his thoughts.  The entrance to the city of the Seijoh Quadrant looked… old and out of place.  Everything in the Empire was always sparkling and new.  Apparently Seijoh did not get the same treatment. 

Making his way through the streets, he noticed that the movement of its civilians weren’t quite as lively as the Capital City.  Yet it was there.  A bit slower, a bit more tired, a few more suspicious glances towards the military general on the fine horse.  The part of Iwaizumi that still lived in the poor part of Capital City wanted him to keep his head down and avoid eye contact, but this was not a place where he would be attacked for looking at the wrong person… at least he, as a member of the Empire’s military, would not be. 

Finally, Sendai Castle loomed over him.  The gates were open with only one person guarding them.  Kaneo Yuda, if the description in his file was to be believed.  Iwaizumi offered a nod towards Kaneo, who smiled and waved the arrow he was sharpening at the rider.  Once in the courtyard, Iwaizumi dismounted and handed his reins to an attendant.  His eyes caught a glint of silver in the shadows, along with the flash of golden eyes before his attention was drawn elsewhere.  Coming down the stairs to meet him was the rest of his soldiers.  An older man stepped forward, who Iwaizumi identified to be Irihata.  He moved forward as well, reaching out to grasp the other’s forearm. 

“Iwaizumi Hajime, it’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“General Iwaizumi, I hold great hopes for you.”

Iwaizumi moved down the line, shaking hands and receiving salutes in turn.  Some of the soldiers offered smiles, while others gripped his arm strongly as if testing his strength.  Kyoutani in particular put on quite a display of strength, maintaining eye contact throughout the entire interaction.  Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the two mages – Yahaba and Watari lean in towards each other, Yahaba turning away slightly afterwards.  He whispered something, twisting a bracelet from under his sleeve.

Almost immediately, a white-clad figure swept out from the shadows.  The glinting golden eyes told Iwaizumi that it was the same shadow he had seen earlier.  He wore traditional clothing – white with blue details.  Over the top of his robes, silver armor gleamed.  Braces covered his forearms, but didn’t expand past his wrists.  The metal expanded up to his shoulders, yet left plenty of space for the movement of joints.  It continued reaching up, spreading across his shoulder blades (leaving the rest of the back open) and formed a chest plate. Intricate details were etched onto it, but Iwaizumi couldn’t make them out from this distance.

“You called?” the man drawled, staring in annoyance at Yahaba.  The mage returned the glare.  “Yes, you were supposed to be here to greet General Iwaizumi.  Show some respect to our leader.  He will be commanding us when we march, whether you like it or not.”  The man scoffed, whipping around to face Iwaizumi.

“Greetings General Iwaizumi.  I am Oikawa Tooru, the yokai at your disposal.  Yahaba will set you up with a… communication bracelet.  I will be taking my leave, if that is fine by you, sir.”

Iwaizumi could only manage an unsure nod, unsure of what he had done to warrant such hatred.  Oikawa spun on his heel, robes whipping around him.  He strode of back into the shadows that he had come from.

Later that night, the group of soldiers were sitting around the fire in the courtyard.  They were chatting amiably, flushed cheeks highlighted by the light of the flames.  Iwaizumi smiled and laughed along with them, tossing occasional glances to the dark doorway where Oikawa had disappeared hours earlier.  There wasn’t any movement in the darkness and curiosity was getting the better of the general.  With a sigh, he rose from his seat and began stepping towards it.  The chatter died down, soldiers turning to look at where their superior was headed.  Kindaichi moved to go after him but was swiftly pulled down by Kunimi. 

“Oikawa?” Iwaizumi whispered into the darkness.

There was a ruffle of clothing in the back and golden eyes appeared.  “What does our grand General want from little old me?”

“I’d like to know more about you.”  There was a sudden _woosh_ of air and Iwaizumi’s senses were overloaded by the colors of gold, blue, and white and the scent of evergreen pine trees.  He backed up rapidly, but was pursued by Oikawa. 

“You will most certainly _not_ know more about me.  There is a reason why there was no information available to you.  It’s because you aren’t ranked high enough to know about me.  The yokai you’ve worked with before?  Trash.  They don’t equate to me.”  His voice was almost a hiss, echoing around Iwaizumi.  The General continued to back up into the courtyard and into the sight of the rest of the Quadrant.  Oikawa continued, the fire dying down as he got closer.  Almost immediately, Yahaba leapt to his feet, twirling his hands and yelling out words.  With each verse, Oikawa’s pose grew more and more rigid.  Soon he began folding in on himself, falling to the stone floor.  Blue veins became more and more prominent and rock began to shatter underneath him.  A high-pitched screech came from the yokai, ringing in the ears of those surrounding.  Iwaizumi froze, before turning and running towards Yahaba.

“Sto- _Stop!  Stop it Yahaba!  You’re going to kill him!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... don't really know how this chapter turned out. I really should be asleep right now, but... whaddya know?  
> Anywho, hope you enjoyed! Feel free to take guesses as to where this is going!


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of background information in this chapter~

Previously:

_“You will most certainly_ _not_ _know more about me.  There is a reason why there was no information available to you.  It’s because you aren’t ranked high enough to know about me.  The yokai you’ve worked with before?  Trash.  They don’t equate to me.”  His voice was almost a hiss, echoing around Iwaizumi.  The General continued to back up into the courtyard and into the sight of the rest of the Quadrant.  Oikawa continued, the fire dying down as he got closer.  Almost immediately, Yahaba leapt to his feet, twirling his hands and yelling out words.  With each verse, Oikawa’s pose grew more and more rigid.  Soon he began folding in on himself, falling to the stone floor.  Blue veins became more and more prominent and rock began to shatter underneath him.  A high-pitched screech came from the yokai, ringing in the ears of those surrounding.  Iwaizumi froze, before turning and running towards Yahaba._

_“_ _Sto-_   _Stop!  Stop it Yahaba!  You’re going to kill him!”_

Now:

Yahaba was shoved backwards by Iwaizumi, losing his control over the spell.  The high-pitched screech from behind them ended, replaced by heaving breathes.  “General, with all due respect, what the hell?  He acted against you and required punishment because of it!” exclaimed Yahaba, wiping his hand on his deep violet robes.  Anger boiled beneath Iwaizumi’s skin.

 

“I don’t care how the previous general treated the yokai, but that is not going to be acceptable under my command.  He fights on the field with you, you treat him as one of you.”  Veins popped out on the young general’s neck as he shouted for all the soldiers to hear.  Iwaizumi pivoted on his heel, marching towards the slowly rising Oikawa.  Reaching out towards the finely-dressed yokai, he was met with the golden-eyed stare that continued to make him stop in his tracks.  “Are you alright, Oikawa?” he questioned, putting his hand out to help.  Instead of taking the offered hand, the yokai scoffed once more, standing the rest of the way and turning.  Iwaizumi watched the white-clothed back disappear back into the doorway it had come from, confusion written upon his face.

 

“Go back to the fire and meal,” he ordered, moving to sit with Irihata.  The soldiers moved rapidly back into their previous positions, taking up conversations with ease… yet the feeling of tension remained.  Yahaba seemed unable to tear his eyes away from the general.

 

Irihata offered a grin to his advisee, patting the bench beside him.  Iwaizumi sat and bowed over, running his fingers through his spiky hair.  It was quiet for a heartbeat and then the older man spoke.  “Would you like to learn about the Seijoh Quadrant?  I should’ve spoken to you earlier, but you were focused on meeting everyone.”  At Iwaizumi’s nod, the advisor began to speak.

\--

 

"The Seijoh Quadrant is in the southeastern corner of the Shiratorizawan Empire.  Plentiful and important to the Empire, it is often the target of attacks by neighboring nation-states.  In particular, it often faces conflicts from Wakutani (between the Empire and the Furudate Ocean) and Nohebi (creating a formidable border between the Quadrant and the Shueisha Plains, where the sly Nekoma warriors lurked).  Nohebi was the largest threat of the bordering powers, keeping movements of armies hidden behind deception and darkness.  There are rumors circulating that Nohebi isn’t ruled by humans, but by a group of devious yokai.

 

Soldiers are one of the most important parts of keeping the Quadrant safe.  They are its lifeblood, allowing the people here to live freely and without fear.  It is important to understand what exactly they can do to maximize their abilities.

Mizoguchi is your Second, as you know.  He commands the ranged forces, as well as observing and predicting the actions of the enemy.  In addition, he is a great marksman in all types of bows and as such carries a large arsenal into battle.  Look to him to run any elaborate plans, as he will conduct the movement of our own soldiers.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki are close-range combatants.  They work off of each other best, coming up with on-the-fly plans and schemes that somehow yield incredible results.  Matsukawa uses something called a claymore.  He said it comes from a place far in the North, past the reaches of the homeland.  It’s a ridiculously huge weapon, but is powerful and packs a punch. Hanamaki, on the other hand, employs the use of a pair of wickedly sharp kama.  He’s deceptively quick with them and has trained for a long time to be an expert.  You can count on both in a fight and they’ll have your back until the end of the line.

Watari and Yahaba are your two Quadrant mages.  Yahaba concentrates on offensive spells (specifically fire) and keeps an eye on Oikawa, as you saw earlier.  Watari, on the other hand, improves the group’s defensive abilities.  He creates shields to block attacks, can administer healing when needed, and usually fiddles with enchantments.  Though both of them have the capability to use offense and defense, they work better within their specialization.

Kindaichi is another of your close-range soldiers.  Young, not quite as much experience as most of the others on the team, but he’s got a good heart and works hard.  Don’t count him out in a fight. He’s been learning how to double-wield a pair of dhas from Hanamaki, but there are some limitations with what exactly he can be taught due to the difference in weapons.  However, Kindaichi is never one to back down and seems to have inherited the ability to improvise from Matsukawa and Hanamaki.

Kunimi is on the ranged team.  He uses a reflex bow, which allows him to move around easier than with a taller bow, but allows him to have the same (or greater) power and velocity as those same bows.  Kunimi usually sticks pretty close to Kindaichi, as they grew up together in the same place.

Kaneo uses a khanda and is able to move around very quickly on the battlefield.  For him (and everyone else in this group), it’s about making sure everyone makes it out alive.  Even if he has to be the last one out, he’ll do his best to make sure that we survive.

Motomu is about preparedness, so he prefers using a decurve bow.  It allows him to be able to put an arrow in someone at short notice and has come in handy a few times over the past few years.  He’s a very quick-witted individual, so don’t get too mad at him,

Heisuke rounds out your ranged team.  He prefers the use of a standard long bow, of which there’s nothing truly special about.  But Heisuke has deadly accuracy, making the top of his class at the Academy, which I heard you attended from.  Tell me, is the old mongrel Honami still there?  Bah, I’m off subject.

Kyoutani will be in the middle of the battlefield in any given situation.  Similar to Mizoguchi, he carries quite the arsenal into battle.  Onos, hammers, and a main weapon of the chui staff allows him to inflict a great amount of blunt force damage to our enemies.  I’d advise you to keep an eye on him, though.  Often times he is lost in the bloodlust of battle and needs someone to drag him out.  In addition, he and Yahaba don’t quite get along, though they are a good team.  It must be something with liking to do a lot of damage."

\--

“That’s good to know,” said Iwaizumi, wincing at the minor headache he had gotten from the flood of information.  “But you didn’t say anything about Oikawa.”

At this, Irihata sighed.  He placed his head in his hands, seemingly having an internal debate before nodding and straightening up.  “Right, our resident yokai.  I’d assume you’ve worked with one before, have a basic understanding of their abilities?”  Iwaizumi nodded, thinking back to the one he had worked with on the Western Front, Komaki.  _His true form was a gargoyle, I think.  Had a lot of control over the earth, too.  I remember the first time I saw him transform… the first time that I had really interacted with a yokai and learned about them._

\--

_“Our newest recruit!  Finally decided to quit avoiding the gang and join us for dinner, aye?”  The loud, joyous voice almost made younger Iwaizumi jump out of his skin.  Sitting around the fire was the older men of the group, grinning at him.  Along with them was a teenager with light brown hair and squinty eyes, as if he couldn’t quite make out who they were speaking to.  Iwaizumi shivered.  That was Komaki Yuzuru, the yokai of this Quadrant.  All they had learned about in the Academy was that they existed, was able to take the form of a strange creature, and could do a lot of damage very fast.  Seeing he was being motioned over to come sit, the soldier sighed and dragged his feet over to the fire._

_It only took a few minutes of him sitting there for Komaki and the General to notice his unease, directed at the aforementioned yokai.  “Say, kid.  You know he won’t hurt you, right?”  Iwaizumi winced, before hesitantly nodding and opening his mouth to speak.  However, the General beat him to it.  “You went to the Academy, right?  That makes sense.  They don’t tell you much, do they?  Just enough to survive and have a basic understanding, but not much else.  Okay, well, here’s what there is to know about yokai.  Komaki, take it away.”_

_The yokai grinned excitedly and rose.  “First things first – yokai are affiliated with one element.  Mine is earth.”  He moved his hand slightly and a ball of mud rose from the ground and rotated around his head.  “Control and power are all determined by age, usually.  There are always oddities, after all!  I’m pretty young – only one hundred fifty years old.  You should see the really old guys; they don’t even move or blink or anything!”  Iwaizumi almost choked on his spit.  That was young?  “Secondly, we all have a true form that we take.”  At this, Komaki fell into a forward roll.  However, his form shifted as he went forward.  Black and gray robes turned to skin and fur.  Metal shoulder pads and gauntlets turned to stone armor, expanding and covering vulnerable parts of its body.  Leathery wings expanded out from its back, spanning out and battering the soldiers with the wind.  It even caused the fire to die down to sparks.  The head resembled that of a large black cat that Iwaizumi often saw when he would skim through the books in the library as a child, only looking at the pictures, though the ears were reminiscent of those of a horse.  Three spines grew from between the wings, short but undoubtedly hard.  Long, sharp claws protruded from its feet as teeth did from its mouth._

_Glowing red eyes stared at Iwaizumi, who had frozen in shock and (maybe a little) fear.  In his head, the young soldier heard and echoing voice.  The voice belonged to Komaki._ “This is my true form,” _he said,_ “as we get older, we grow bigger.  The scale is strange, though.  Our growth rate slows down as we age.”  _Iwaizumi blinked and suddenly human form-Komaki was sitting across from him once more.  “Now, not all of us fight in the true form.  Dependent on the battlefield, you might want to fight in a smaller form than your true form really allows.  If we choose to do this, we have our armor,” he motioned towards his own set, “and we can form weapons out of our elements.”  To demonstrate, he held out his hand once more.  Mud and stone rose up, hardening into the shape of a dangerous-looking warhammer._   _“Other than that, every yokai have some basic abilities.  Telepathy, telekinesis, the like.”_

\--

“General Iwaizumi, are you still with me?”  A hand waved in front of his face, making Iwaizumi blink and startle backwards.  He grinned apologetically, then motioned for Irihata to continue.  “Anyways, Oikawa.  He’s been stationed in the Seijoh Quadrant since Wakutani and Nohebi started trying to invade, about eighty to ninety years ago, so everyone he’s served is dead, dying, or unreasonably hard to find.  Our little yokai is affiliated with water and, as far as I know, his true form is some kind of winged serpent.  I think Capital City calls it a dragon.  Oikawa prefers to fight in his human form, so it’s a treat to see him when he transforms.  I’ve only seen it when there’s a yokai on the enemy’s side.”

Iwaizumi nodded thoughtfully.  “You’ve told me about his basic information, but what about _him_?  How does he work and interact with everybody else?”

Irihata laughed.  “You’re one of those generals, aren’t you?  Right.  He keeps to himself, mostly.  Cold, calculating, standoffish.  As you saw, he’s pretty quick to anger.  That doesn’t really mean anything once he’s responsible for our lives.  In my memory, Oikawa’s never left anyone behind on the battlefield without a fight.  I suppose, at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.”

Later that night, as Iwaizumi laid on his cot, he pondered the information he had learned.  He fiddled mindlessly with the wristband he had gotten from the disappearing stall, running his finger over the smooth glass.  The blue was more solid now, though that might just be because of the lighting in his room. 

Sitting up, the young general reached behind the head of the cot.  He grabbed his sword and wrapped the wristband around the hilt.  Iwaizumi set the weapon back to its resting place and turned over, pulled the blanket to his shoulders, and closed his eyes.

Glowing eyes disappeared from the window, vanishing into the shadows of the night with a quiet _whoosh_ of a robe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the views, subscriptions, comments, and kudos! Means a lot!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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